At 1.5m by 3.5m this rendition of the iconic Ethiopian fight against colonization by Italian forces is now the biggest oil painting I've ever done. Putting the imaginary scene together using old paintings of the events, articles and other accounts of it was actually the more challenging part; painting it wasn't much of a challenge. It also happens to be my first truly narrative painting.
(Edit) My response to the concern that the Ethiopian flag I painted isn't accurate:
In 1896 when the Battle of Adwa was fought, the flag flown in Ethiopia was that of the leading monarchy, the Aussa Sultanate, who ruled the area towards the end of the 16th Century, their flag being a plain red cloth and a different version (the one in the painting) being red, yellow and green pennants tied to sticks and poles in that order. Other times the two flags were combined. It wasn't until 1897, the following year, that the first official Ethiopian flag was finally adopted and the colour order reversed to what it is today.
#independence #battleofadwa #ethiopia #colonization